Meal preparation system and methods

Abstract

A meal kit includes multiple food dishes disposed in a transport medium where each food dish includes a plurality of containers having ingredients in a prepared state. The meal kit further includes planning instructions that provide the cooking order for each food dish. A method for ordering a meal kit includes providing a plurality of food dish options and generating a kit assembly packet based on selected food dish options. A method for assembling a meal kit includes packaging each of a plurality of food dishes having ingredients in a ready-to-cook/assemble state and planning instructions in a transport medium.

1 . A meal kit comprising:
 a plurality of food dishes disposed in a transport medium, each food dish including a plurality of containers having distinct markers associated therewith, wherein the plurality of containers includes a plurality of ingredients in a prepared state; and   a plurality of preparation instructions with each of the plurality of preparation instructions providing for the preparation of one of the plurality of food dishes, wherein each of the plurality of preparation instructions refers to the containers of each food dish by the distinct markers and indicates an order in which each container of each food dish is to be prepared.   
     
     
         2 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , planning instructions that indicates an order in which each food dish is to be prepared such that a total time for preparing all of the plurality of food dishes in the meal kit is minimized. 
     
     
         3 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the planning instructions indicate the order in which each food dish is to be prepared such that the food dishes are completed at a similar time. 
     
     
         4 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the planning instructions indicate the order in which each food dish is to be prepared such that the preparation of the plurality of food dishes is completed in less than or equal to about 30 minutes. 
     
     
         5 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each food dish includes less than or equal to ten containers. 
     
     
         6 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the preparation instructions for each of the plurality food dishes includes less than or equal to ten steps. 
     
     
         7 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the preparation instructions for each of the plurality of food dishes includes three to five steps. 
     
     
         8 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising nutritional information for each food dish. 
     
     
         9 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising serving instructions that provide beverage suggestions to compliment the plurality of food dishes. 
     
     
         10 . A meal kit as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the containers are selected from a group consisting of disposable containers, recyclable containers, reusable containers, compostable containers, biodegradable containers and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of food dish options to a remote device, wherein each of the food dish options representing a food dish that must be prepared by a consumer from a plurality of ingredients disposed in containers in a prepared state;   receiving food dish selections from the remote device;   providing additional food dish suggestions to the remote device based on the selected food dish; and   generating a kit assembly packet based on received food dish selections, wherein the kit assembly packet includes preparation instructions for the preparation of the selected food dish, wherein the preparation instructions refer to the containers of the selected food dish by distinct markers disposed on each of the containers and indicate an order in which each container of selected food dish is to be prepared.   
     
     
         12 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising providing a listing of cookware needed to complete preparation of the selected food dish, wherein the cookware can be ordered. 
     
     
         13 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of food dish options is provided through a listing of individual food dishes. 
     
     
         14 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of food dish choices is provided through a plurality of pre-planned menus with each pre-planned menu having a plurality of food dishes. 
     
     
         15 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the food dish selection is a user-defined recipe entered by the remote device. 
     
     
         16 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing a listing of ingredient substitutions for a selected food dish. 
     
     
         17 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of providing a listing of ingredient deletions for a selected food dish. 
     
     
         18 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising the step of transmitting the kit assembly packet to a meal kit packaging center. 
     
     
         19 . A method for receiving an order for a meal kit as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the kit assembly packet includes planning instructions that indicate an order in which each food dish selected is to be prepared such that a total time for preparing all of the selected food dishes is minimized. 
     
     
         20 . A method for assembling a meal kit, the method comprising:
 obtaining ingredients for a plurality of food dishes;   preparing the ingredients for each of the food dishes such that the ingredients are in a ready-to-cook/assemble state;   placing the ingredients into a plurality of containers, wherein each container includes a distinct marking corresponding to one of the food dishes; and   placing the containers and an information packet in a transportable medium.   
     
     
         21 . A method for assembling a meal kit as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the distinct marking on each of the container designates the food dish and an order in which each container is to be prepared in the food dish. 
     
     
         22 . A method for assembling a meal kit as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the order provided in the planning instructions minimize the total time for preparing all of the food dishes. 
     
     
         23 . A method for assembling a meal kit as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the information packet includes preparation instructions for each of the food dishes and planning instructions that indicate an order in which each food dish is to be prepared. 
     
     
         24 . A method for assembling a meal kit as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the information packet includes nutritional information for each food dish and serving suggestions. 
     
     
         25 . A method for generating a meal planning kit, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of food dish options to a remote device;   providing a customization option for ingredients of selected food dishes;   providing food/beverage suggestions based on the selected food dishes; and   generating planning instructions that indicate an order in which each selected food dish is to be prepared such that a total time for preparing all the selected food dishes is minimized.